


Coffee Break

by sjhw_tolerance (mscorkill)



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-29
Updated: 2012-03-29
Packaged: 2017-11-02 16:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/370798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscorkill/pseuds/sjhw_tolerance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack gets to know the newest member of SG1a little better over a cup of coffee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee Break

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution to the Jack O'Neill Alphabet Soup challenge and SG-1 Gen Fic Day; Q is for Quinn.
> 
> Originally posted October 2008

COFFEE BREAK

Jack paused just outside the door, the muted sounds of Jonas’ CD player telling him that even if he wasn’t in his office, he wouldn’t be far away. He looked down at the tray in hands, wondering for the umpteenth time at the wisdom of his offering. It seemed like such a small—if not completely unexpected—gesture, given the usual state of his non-relationship with the newest member of his team. Taking a deep breath, Jack stepped over the threshold into Jonas’ office.

Jonas wasn’t immediately visible, the contents of his office obscuring most of his desk. Jack had heard tell of Jonas’ office and he could see that the tales hadn’t been exaggerated. He momentarily tried to envision what it would be like to live his life in an office and what passed for personal quarters at the SGC and quickly suppressed a shudder. Rationally he’d known Jonas had given up a lot when he’d defected to Earth and he wondered briefly—especially after the recent events back on his home world—if they all had made the right decision to offer the Kelownan asylum. But that was neither here nor there; right now he had another priority.

“Jonas?” he called, setting the tray down on a slightly less uncluttered corner of the desk.

“Colonel?” Jonas popped up from behind a cabinet in the far corner of the room, holding an armful of books. “What are you doing here?” he asked, looking slightly confused and then slightly flustered. “I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with you being here, it’s just—”

Jack cut him off before he could dig himself any deeper. “I thought you might like some cake.” He gestured towards the tray, which held two slices of spice cake, along with two cups of coffee.

If anything, the confused look on Jonas’ face just increased. “Sure….” he replied slowly, setting the books down on top of a rather precarious looking stack of books already on the one over-crowded bookshelf in the room. “Spice cake,” he said, sitting down behind the desk. “One of my favorites.”

Jack took that as a positive sign and looked around for another chair, finally spotting one hidden under another pile of books. Setting them on the floor, he pulled the chair over closer to the desk and once seated, picked up the second piece of cake and a fork. “Yeah,” he said, taking a bite of the moist cake, “can’t beat a good piece of cake.”

They ate silently for several minutes and when Jack got down to the last few forkfuls, he knew he had to address the real reason he’d come to see Jonas. Clearing his throat, he set the plate down when Jonas looked enquiringly at him. “So…how’s Doctor Kieran doing?”

A shadow passed over Jonas’ face but then he smiled. “He seems to be settling into his new location without any problems. Doctor Fraiser seems optimistic.”

Jack nodded. He’d seen Fraiser’s report and knew that the older man was deteriorating more rapidly than anyone expected. “That’s good,” was all he said though. Pushing his now empty plate aside he picked up the coffee mug and held it, staring down at the murky brown depths; he poked at some coffee grounds that clung to the side of the cup. Jack knew he was stalling, he really should have known better than to try something like this; he really sucked at the warm-fuzzy thing. He should have sent Teal’c….

“First Minister Valis asked me to stay.”

Jack looked up from his coffee, wiping his finger on his BDUs. “Did he now?”

Jonas took a sip of his coffee and grimaced, setting it down and opening one of the desk drawers, pulling out several packets of sugar. “Can’t quite get used to the taste of coffee,” he commented, dumping the packets into the coffee.

Jack waited while Jonas stirred the coffee and took another experimental sip, apparently satisfied. “Were you tempted?”

Jonas got a far-away look in his eyes. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.” Jonas’ eyes met his then. “But nothing has changed. They’re still too caught up in their petty squabbling and bickering to see what really matters.”

“Maybe you’re the one person who can help them.”

“Do you think I should have stayed?”

The question was unexpected and for a Jack thought for a moment Jonas was being flip, but the deadly earnest and slightly apprehensive look on his face told him otherwise. Jonas’ expression fell when Jack stood up, deliberately gathering the now empty plates and the forks, placing them on the tray. Picking up the tray, he walked to the door and stopped, turning back to look at the Kelownan. “What I think doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you’re home now.”

Jonas smiled slowly, not the huge grin Jack was accustomed to seeing on his face, but it was still a smile. “Thank you, Colonel. For everything.”

“Yeah well…” Jack said, squishing the uncomfortably warm and fuzzy feeling produced by Jonas’ thanks. “Tomorrow it’s your turn to bring the cake. Carter’s lab, fourteen-hundred sharp.”

Jack headed out the door, smiling to himself when he heard Jonas call after him. “What’s her favorite kind?”

THE END


End file.
